In Loving Memory
by NeverSawSpring
Summary: After the disappearance of her best friend, Misty Waterflower is a complete and utter emotional wreck. When an unlikely friend steps forward to comfort her will she accept with open arms or push him away like she has done to everyone else?


**hello wonderful readers! i have been inspired. bad experiences get the creative side of me flowing haha. is going to be a multichapter fic and i hope you enjoy!**

**disclaimer: i don't own pokemon, fyi. if i did egoshipping and contestshipping would be canon, duh.**

**warning: rated T just in case someone gets butthurt about my fic.**

**reviews are lovely!**

**enjoy!**

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The sound of the rain always seemed to calm Misty Waterflower in her most panicked. Listening to each droplet hit the window nearest to her was like listening to Chimecho's endless chime. Now it was something that served as a constant reminder of the loss of her best friend. The day she was told of his disappearance it was a torrential downpour.

She remembered their first encounter and how she fished him and his yellow mouse out of the Pallet River. Not five minutes later did he burn her bike, which he stole, to a crisp. Those few events led to what would be some of the best years of her life.

Now she was standing in some small church outside of Lavender Town clutching her last connection to the boy. He'd been missing for almost six months now and everyone was starting to give up hope that he'd be found. Misty hated to admit that some of his closest friends were giving up on him too. There was barely anything to hold onto for hope. All the police were able to find was a faded pink handkerchief with a faded mini Misty fishing lure wrapped inside.

Glancing around the pact room she hadn't realized how many people were there. She saw the familiar bluenette who traveled with him in Sinnoh. She saw the older boy who was usually in a t-shirt, shorts, and a red headband sitting front row next to her three sisters. Way in the back, she saw a spiky haired brunette standing next to a man with green hair and another with purple hair as they talked amongst themselves.

Besides Misty there were only a select few who kept their faith. One was a tall, naturally tanned, broad shouldered man with short dark brown hair. The other a petite brunette whose sapphire eyes were heavy from loss of sleep. There was also an older professor who had gray hair and kind eyes which were always so inviting.

The three of them stood behind to his mother, who was now in her mid-forties but looked much older due to the emotional baggage she carried. Her hazel eyes held in so many tears Misty didn't believe it was possible. The professor stood at her left side with a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The pair had been officially married for a year now and this was one tragedy they wish never occurred.

As his mother, Delia, stepped up to the podium. Everyone immediately went dead silent because this was more important than any conversation they were having. She took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak.

"I-I'd like to thank you all for being here today," she began with a shaky voice. "I know that this is hard for all of us and the fact that we can be here together really shows that my son was able to not only make friends on his journeys, but family too." She gave a warm, weak smile as she looked back at the small group of teenagers who stood behind her.

"There isn't much anyone can do anymore and with a lot of thought I have decided a memorial was in order. We know for a fact that if he were here right now he would tell us all that we should be laughing and smiling and thinking only good thoughts and talking only good memories. I know that you all have had many adventures with him and if we could all share it would take years. Today however, three of the most important people in not only his life, but mine as well, have picked out highlights of their time with him." She paused for a moment as tears began to escape her eyes. "H-He may be gone, but he will not be forgotten."

She glanced back at trio behind her, locking eyes with the redhead who she promised the final speaking spot too. First the brunette, May, stepped up and cleared her throat. The girl was someone Misty had grown to know and love since their first encounter back in the Hoenn traveling days. She had a thick layer of mascara running down her cheeks from the tears which didn't stop coming.

"A-Ash was my first traveling partner, my first friend away from home. If I would have never met him, I would have never found my love for contests. The way we pushed each other to do better, whether it was a battle or not, always seemed to be the extra catalyst I needed to have the chemicals react. No matter what was," she stopped to hold back a sob, "hap-happening between us, we were always able to joke around and enjoy the little things." She let out the hysterical sob but quickly composed herself the best she could.

"Something about this isn't fair, and I don't understand why we had to lose someone so, so important in our lives. Wherever you are, just please Ash, be..be okay." May choked out a sob, burying her head in her hands. The green haired boy, Drew, quickly rushed to her side to escort her away. As she cried he wrapped an arm almost instinctively around her shoulder, rubbing her back with his free hand to sooth her. Misty had assumed the two were dating but right now there were more important things on her mind.

Next Brock, the only male in the original trio who stood by Delia's side, stepped up. He ran a hand through his dark hair, silent. In all her years of knowing him Misty had never once seen her brotherly figure speechless. There was something about this that was unsettling in the redhead's stomach. As Brock went to speak a noise which sounded like the beginning of a sentence escaped his lips. He closed his mouth and went to speak again but the same thing happened. He just sighed, shaking his head as the tears slowly left his eyes.

Misty had seen a lot of things in her life. She had seen legendaries like Entei and Celebi, she had seen the Mirage Kingdom where her baby Togetic had gone, she had even seen her best friend turned to stone but never had she seen Brock Slate cry. She watched as he broke down in front of the crowd, trying to keep himself together. He just shook his head more, wiping the tears from his eyes as he stepped back, allowing Misty to have her turn.

If you wanted the truth, the cerulean eyed girl hadn't figured out what she was going to say. Maybe it was time to confess her overly obvious feelings, or maybe it was time to say that she couldn't cope and she needed any support she could get.

Sighing softly, she took her step forward. The sound of her heel hitting the ground echoed, giving her goosebumps. She glanced around the room looking for somewhere to keep her focus. Her eyes settled on a spot in the center of the Kyogre stained glass window. Slowly, she reached into the pocket of the black pencil skirt she was wearing, shakily pulling out a folded up piece of paper which held everything she had brainstormed written on it. Carefully she unfolded it, placing it on the stand in front of her.

"You know Ash, I've never been good at public speaking but I guess you're always my exception to things that make me step out of my comfort zone. That's why I think I didn't like you at first, because you forced me into situations I wasn't okay with. You made me overcome my fear of bugs, did you know that? Your Butterfree was the reason I'm now able to walk through the Viridian Forest alone. You taught me how to control my temper, though it never seemed like it," she laughed lightly, which got everyone to smile and laugh along.

"I learned what a real friend was, and I learned what it was like to have someone not give up on you. I learned the value of good friends, and I grew up. Somedays I reflect on those long nights we would spend sitting up and talking about everything and nothing, or those days when I'd want to strangle you for getting us lost with your 'short cuts' because you thought you were the smartest human being in existence."

"Right now, I don't know specifically where you are or who you're with or what you're doing, none of us do. However, I know..." Her voice trailed off. Taking another deep breath as a few tears glided down her porcelain cheeks, "I know that wherever you are, heaven or earth, you are probably thinking of the quickest route home because you know we're all so worried about you. So please Ash, please..." She paused for a minute to hold back a single sob.

"Come back home."

As that last line left her lips she felt her whole body give out. She fell to the ground on her knees, letting out an uncontrollable sob. She felt no pair of comforting arms around her like May had. It was as if everyone in this damn room thought she was as helpless as a newborn Eevee pup. She was weak, not strong like Ash would want her to be. Not holding herself together like May would have expected. It was too much

After a minute or so of sitting there weeping in front of most of the Pokemon League she was picked up by Tracey, a long time friend, and carried outside so she could breathe. She kicked and flailed her arms, pounding on his back with her fists.

"Let me go! Tracey! Let me go!" She sobbed, shaking her head as she demanded to be put down. Tracey, being much bigger than the youngest Waterflower sister, ignored her as they stepped out front of the building.

"Mist," he began softly, "I'm going to put you down on three and you're going to take a long deep breath, okay?" He didn't wait for her answer because right now she didn't care and he was very aware.

"One...Two..." He carefully lifted her back over his shoulder and placed her down, "three."

Not even a second later did Misty collapse onto the ground. Her knee became scraped up and bloody, her usually bright eyes still letting tears fall. Tracey stared down at the poor girl not knowing what to do.

"Misty, I-"

"Leave me alone Tracey." She snapped, cutting off his sentence. If there was one thing she would never it do it was admit she was helpless. Yes the thought was always crossing her mind but it was never as if she would act on it.. Her sisters were that way, not her. Shaking his head, Tracey sighed.

"I'm going back in. I want you to stay out here until you're sure you won't lose it," Tracey spoke with a certain hinted harshness. He turned around and went back in, leaving the redhead alone with her thoughts.

Staring blankly at the door, she blinked a few times. How could he leave her like this? Why wasn't he out here comforting her? Tracey was supposed to be one of her best friends and he just left her outside in the middle of the sidewalk. Maybe he was tired of her being so upset, or maybe he just didn't care about Ash anymore. Maybe he figured if Ash wasn't home by now he was dead and they should just accept it.

Realizing she was still in the middle of the sidewalk Misty put any energy she had left into her legs. Slowly she stood, incredibly shaky, and moved to the old wooden bench off to the side. Being in someones way was her personal talent and she didn't want to show off here.

Her heart was aching, her stomach was churning. She felt like ass for falling apart that easily in front of everyone. Delia needed her, Brock needed her, hell even May needed her and she let them all down.

Running a hand through her fiery hair she felt more tears forming. Why on Shaymin's green earth was Ash the one taken away from them? Why wasn't it her? Nobody would miss her, maybe her sisters and her few close friends but that's it. Nobody loved her like people loved Ash. She was just the girl who was seen as a tag-along with no place to really go. Allowing her tears to escape again she started to cry but not because she was sad, but because she was desperate for answers.

Just on the other side of the paper thin church doors stood the spiky haired brunette who had been watching the redhead from the small stain glass window. It was hard to make out her facial features but it was obvious she was crying again. He'd watched the whole scene unfold, from Tracey leaving her to her attempt to move to the bench. Running a hand through his hair, he leaned on the door frame letting out a deep sigh.

"Oh Red, I wish you weren't so sad. You don't deserve this."


End file.
